Roast Beef In April

An Autobiographical Sketch of the 30's and 40's

No, you may not know Robert J. Higgins. He grew up in the Southern Tier of New York State, and went on to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. He married, raised four sons, who in turn brought him grandchildren, and then he moved to Orlando to continue his practice.

This isn't about that Robert J. Higgins. This is about Bob, the boy who lived in New York towns like Johnson City, Binghamton and Windsor. This is about how his parents sacrificed to make a life for him, and how well that early life was lived.

"A gang of pigeons lived in our unused barn and would roost in the upper rafters. Matt and I climbed up to the birds with a burlap bag late at night and captured at least a dozen in the bag. We then took the bag of birds across the road where a Justice of the Peace lived ... we emptied the bag of pigeons into the cab [of his truck] and locked the doors. We never heard about the outcome, but I bet it was a dandy of a mess ... Not observing the people's response left a kind of unfinished feeling to the prank. Maybe that's one of the reasons why it is said that the criminal returns to the scene of the crime."

From childhood pranks to the unrestrained joy of driving the family car, Roast Beef In April is a unique glimpse at the peaks and valleys of one coming of age tale.

"Roast Beef in April was written because I wanted future generations to glimpse a slice of life that one rural New York boy experienced in the 30's and 40's. I wanted them to view me as a real person, with feelings, joys and heartaches and to contrast my life with theirs, enjoying the differences, yet the many similarities." -- Robert J. Higgins